Machine gun unit



g- 3 F. K. HOWARD ET AL 2,049,448

MACHINE GUN UNIT Filed Dec. 22, 1934 I Ll Inventurs I Furresi K-Hmward O 2 Samuel GJBrEET'L II I %0z Attorney Patented Aug. 4, 1936 MACHINE GUN UNIT Forrest K. Howard, East Falls Church, Va., and Samuel G. Green, Gray, Ga.

Application December 22, 1934, Serial No. 758,723

'3 Claims. (CI. 89-33) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a machine gun unit.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a mounting for a front cartridge stop which will not obstruct the outer sideof the receiver, which will permit of ready application and removal and which may be employed on either the right or left side plate of the receiver.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a portion of a machine gun provided with the improved cartridge stop member.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the stop member.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the stop member.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the receiver showing the application of a modified form of stop member, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the stop member of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown a portion of the receiver of a machine gun consisting of spaced side plates 5-5 each of which is recessed to provide a cartridge feedway 6'. When the cartridge belt is to be advanced from left to right as illustrated, the

- left plate is provided with a bracket 1 for carryingthe usual pawls (not shown) and the right plate is provided with a bracket 8 for carrying the usual rear stop (not shown). When the cartridge belt is to be advanced from right to left. the positions of the pawl and stop brackets are reversed.

In order to permit greater adaptability to meet special situations of mounting the gun it is proposed in the present invention to attach the front cartridge stop 9 to the side plates 5 rather than to the bracket 8. To this end the side plates 55 are formed with a pair of similar and opposite recesses I 0--l0 defining the cartridge feedway v6 and serving in the same capacity depending on which side of the gun the front stop 9 is to be placed. The upper edge H and the lower edge I2 of the wall defining each recess II) are beveled on their outer sides as indicated at IS. The upper edge I I of each recess is provided with a slot 14.

The stop 9 preferably rests on the floor l5 of the feedway and is applied to the recess ill from a position inside of the side plate. The upper 5 edge of the stop is cut back to provide a shoulder l6 which engages the side plate 5 of the receiver and while holding the stop against outward displacement also positions the outer face ll of the stop within the recess III. A lug l8 on the stop 10 enters the slot I4 and holds the stop against displacement longitudinally of the gun.

A stud l9 projecting from the outer face ll of the stop mounts a plate 20 having a beveled upper edge 2| and a beveled lower edge 22 respec- 15 tively engaging the beveled edges I3 of the recess ill. The plate is held in place by a cotter pin 23 passing through the stud and when thus secured it maintains the stop 9 against inward displacement. 20

The stop member 9 is provided with a pair of spaced fingers 24 and 25 which are individually employed to arrest the cartridge depending on the direction of feeding. The ends of the fingers are formed in a curve whose tangency will have 25 a multiplicity of single point contacts and still maintain the relation of the axis of the cartridge and the center of the stop regardless of the angle of presentation of the cartridge. In addition the curved face will avoid cutting into the bullet 30 of the cartridge.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the stop 26 carries a plate 2'! which has a lug 28 on its lower end fitting in a slot 29 in the side plate 30 of the receiver. The plate is secured 35 by a cotter pin 3|.

We claim:

1. In a gun, a receiver plate having a recess, the upper and lower edges of the plate defining the recess being beveled and the upper edge having a slot, a cartridge stop member inserted in the recess, a shoulder on the stop member engaging the inner side of the receiver plate, a lug on the stop member entering the slot in the receiver plate, a stud on the outer face of the stop member, a retaining plate mounted on the stud and engaging the beveled edges of the receiver plate. and means on the stud for holding the retaining plate on the stud.

2. In a gun, a receiver plate having a recess, 50 one of the walls defining the recess having a slot,

a cartridge stop member inserted in the recess, a shoulder on the stop member engaging the inner face of the receiver plate, a lug on the stop member entering the slot in the receiver plate, 55

a stud'on the stop member and a retaining plate 'held on the stud and engaging the outer face of thefreceiver plate.

3.111 a. gun, a. receiver plate having a recess,

5 one'of the walls defining the recess having a slot,

a cartridge stop rnember inserted in the recess, a

shoulder on the stofifm'ember ngaging; the inner; 

